by data obtained during these surveys and were provided the 
opportunity to place personnel and equipment aboard. 
As the program advances and more ships are available 
for Ocean Surveys, and as accurate navigational control 
everywhere at sea becomes a reality, then the areas of Ocean 
Survey operations will become more truly responsive to the 
overall national need. Once this stage has been reached, 
then the choice of areas for each year's survey operations 
will be determined jointly by the Ocean Surveys Advisory 
Panel in consultation with qualified representatives of the 
non-governmental scientific community. Until then, however, 
the choice of areas for Ocean Surveys must be based primarily 
on the availability of adequate navigational control, ships, 
and effective logistic support. 
D. Platforms to be utilized in Ocean Surveys 
The majority of the Ocean Survey work at sea will, at 
least for the next ten years, be carried out from ships. 
During this period, it is envisioned that a network of 
recording or telemetering oceanographic buoys will become 
established which will provide time-series and synoptic 
oceanographic and meteorological data currently planned for 
collection by Ocean Survey ships. With the advent of such 
an operational buoy system, the oceanographic station opera- 
tions of the survey ships will be modified accordingly, 
allowing more ship-time for the underway portions of the 
program. Similarly, as offshore platforms, 
15 
